Suddenly it became a nightmare. Liberators that seemed made for Riveraccessible in the group stage, round of 16 and also quarterfinals, with the single-match final scheduled in the Monumental. The unbeatable setting was transformed into a labyrinth that sounds impossible to solve. There is no River whatever it’s worth. There is no Marcelo Gallardo whatever it’s worth. In Belo Horizonte, in the first leg semi-final against the Cup’s first truly strong rival, the millionaires collapse. appear Atlético Mineiro, Gabriel Milito and Deyverson with a huge beating, with pure forcefulness. AND River he remains in a stock state, shaken, almost eliminated from this Cup that obsesses him.
“We did not expect this result. It is very hard. They were forceful and it was difficult for us. Anything is possible in football, but we are going to have to play an excellent game at home and not make mistakes,” he said. Franco Armani barely sealed the 0-3. And it’s true.
Gallant replaced Martin Demichelis before the start of the round of 16. The Doll returned to River with the hope of repeating those golden years, those cup feats. But this is another story. There are no leaders or talents like those of those times. And the team can’t find a way back. Against Mineiro It was very clear.
The MRV Arena in Belo Horizonte put on a sensational show to welcome Atlético Mineiro with black and white smoke and fireworks. And it seemed that that reception boosted the Brazilian team and minimized the Argentine team.
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Yeah Mineiro was much more than River It was also because Milito’s plan was much better than Gallardo’s. Gaby won the strategic duel against Muñeco, who lost due to injury in the warm-up to Marcos Acuñawho suffered from tendonitis that he had been suffering from, a loss that is not valid as an excuse.
El Muñeco tried to avoid surprises with a line of five defenders, plus the unexpected presence of Nicolás Fonseca in the heart of the midfield. But on the other side Gaby He responded with long balls for the three attacking men (Hulk, Deyverson and Paulinho) that he placed against the three millionaire central defenders.
And with that resource, Mineiro took advantage. After a long delivery, Hulk put his body, easily displaced the World Cup player Germán Pezzella and opened the way for Deyverson to leave Franco Armani down and slowly touch it into the empty goal.
Mineiro was closer to second in that initial stage than River was to the tie. Those of Gallant They only came together with a left-handed blow Facundo Colidio that passed close to an angle.
The face of Gallantwhich expressed a feeling of great annoyance, was confirmed when 15 minutes into the second half the entire midfield changed. Outside, Santiago Simón, Fonseca and Nacho Fernández. Inside, Maxi Meza, Rodrigo Villagra and Manuel Lanzini.
Just before Gallant It also included Pablo Solari and Adam Bareiro for Colidio and Miguel Borja, with 20 minutes left, Mineiro emerged again to apply two tremendous blows. And he didn’t do it with balls. I had other resources…
The 2-0 came in a collective play, with a pure touch, and he shouted again Deyverson with a cross left foot that hit a post and entered before the helplessness of Pezzella and Armani. And just there, at the exit of a side, with the millionaire defense asleep, Deyverson attended Paulinho, who celebrated the 3-0 with a shot from outside that found some luck in the deflection off Paulo Díaz and disoriented Armani.
Gallant He didn’t mess around: “Nothing came out of what we thought. We weren’t the tough team we should have been. They scored very easy goals for us. We couldn’t respond to the people. Nothing is impossible, but in the return we are going to have to play a perfect match. We must reflect and do the opposite of what we did today.” As is.
